Dog Bite Cases in New Jersey

Animal attacks and dog bites are common occurences. In New Jersey, an owner of an animal is responsible for any injuries caused by their dog and they are strictly liable if a bite broke the skin of the person attacked. Under strict liability laws, negligence need not be proven.

These facts regarding dog bite injuries illustrate the frequency and seriousness of these events:

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States seeks medical attention for a dog bite related injury.

It is estimated that for every dog bite that is reported, three go unreported.

Nationwide, as many as one million people annually require medical treatment for dog bites.

More than 334,000 victims end up in the emergency room.

More than 4.7 million people, or 2% of the U.S. population, are bitten by dogs each year.

More than half of all the dog bite victims are children.

National figures estimate that 60% of dog-bite attacks happen in the home, either by the family or a friend’s dog.

These attacks also may leave emotional and psychological scars for life long after the physical wounds have healed. If a child is involved, we as lawyersare sensitive to their emotional needs and we take special care not to further traumatize a child through the legal process.

If you cannot hire a lawyer, a dog bite victim needs to do the following things to protect his or her rights:

Identify the dog soon as possible. Get the name and address of the owner of the dog. If you can, obtain the dog license information.

Find out the name and address of the dog’s vet and ask about the dogs inocculation history.

Do not hesitate to report the incident to the police

Get the name, address and telephone number of any potential witnesses. You may need to hire and investigator, or return to the accident scene and knock on the doors of nearby homes and businesses.

Take many photos of all of your wounds, bruises and bloody clothing.

If possible, obtain homeowners insurance information from the dog owner.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dog bite, you should consider contacting an experienced attorney who specializes in personal injury cases. The attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. would like to meet with you and discuss the investigation of your injury. Our law firm has represented and assisted dog bite victims in bringing lawsuits against owners and insurance companies alike. We never charge our clients any fees or expenses unless we are successful.